Johna Karpinski
President, Historical Society
As Interviewed by ArtsCAP President Brett Colby
Q. What do you think you are most well known around town for?
A.The Historical Soc president
Q.What is something that people probably don’t know about you?
A.I’m a pretty open book, but I am a Monmouth county girl 1 of 6 children, hazlet.
Q.Why do you think that ART is important in Asbury Park?
A.Art is important everywhere, more so in AP because we have so much wonderful art and architecture surrounding us. Our history puts us in a totally different category from other towns. The layout itself is artistic. Its also very conducive for someone like a painter to paint anywhere in town: so many streetscapes, parks.
Q.What is your favorite architecture in AP?
A.Downtown, press plaza, the northwest section is amazing because it retained its character through the years – since the 20s. ONE ideal structure is the Charms building.
Q. What “art form” first comes to mind when you think of Asbury than Park?
A. As a frustrated architect, the streetscape and architecture. The fountain in library park, Madame Marie’s place is art in its own way.
Q. Were you involved in any ‘art’ while you were in school?
A. Absolutely. As a child I was always drawing and painting. I went to college for graphic design, and started working in new York as a freelance designer for toy prototypes. (Buddy L). But I don’t draw anymore.
Q.Are you involved with teaching “art” in any way?
A.Definitely – part of the challenge of the historical society is to educate people on the importance of preserving the heritage of the town. So often you drive by a home and find that homeowners have made improvements inappropriate [to the character of the home]. Its not that one would cost more, but people are not aware that minor changes such as painting over brick facades destroy a home’s history. Thankfully Convention Hall and the Casino will be restored properly.
Q.Do you consider yourself an artist or a patron of the arts or both? If both, in which order?
A.Former artist, current patron.
Q.Tell me how you became involved with the Historical Society.
A.That’s a long winded story. Basically I own one of the oldest houses close to the beach. It was originally not included in waterfront redevelopment plan. In 2001, the eminent domain zone changed to include my house. I began talking to anyone who would listen, including city council, historical society, and found that so many other people wanted to keep their houses as well. Thankfully the council worked with us to preserve our home by having it moved. Two other homes will also be moved. Numerous letters, hours of advocating for it, inspired me to go further with other structures – the Charms, the Bandshell above 5th Ave Pavilion also needed to be saved.
Q. What are your proudest accomplishments since assuming the presidency?
A. The postcard campaign to save the Band shell. The problem is that if something is not listed on the national and state register of historic sites, it does not call into effect 106 review. We printed postcards with a picture of the Bandshell, with a banner “save the bandshell” and bombarded Terry Reidy over 2,000 of them. The city council then decided to save the band shell according to the wishes of the citizens. Approx. 250 members of hist. society helped to fight save it.
Other things I am proud of are Library square park – fountain restoration. Upgrading lighting and pathways there, plantings. The money we raised with Monmouth Conservation Foundation.
Q.After achieving a victory in the society, what would be your ideal way to celebrate?
A.A walk on the beach with my husband, Richard, my 2 dogs, and stopping at the beach bar or wonder bar.
Q.Do you have any plans for the future that involve Asbury Park?
A.Absolutely. The historic documents housed under the train station – they are owned by city so we can’t touch them, but are working with the city to apply for a Paris Grant to hire an archivist to save and catalogue the documents. Almost weekly I get inquiries from people who want to know the history of their home, but we have no way to get at that information until these documents are catalogued. Gail Holly, our VP is spearheading that project.
Q.What is your favorite hangout in Asbury Park? Why?
A.There are several – I am so delighted the Wonder Bar is opening up again – I can walk there. Defintely the beach. I love bike riding. Bistro Ole, Moonstruck on a beautiful afternoon.
Q.What is your favorite Asbury Park memory?
A.One of my favorite and earliest memories is Easter Sunday walking the promenade, every year as a child. The structures were awe inspiring.
Q. If you were not president of the Historical Society, what would you like to be doing instead?
A. Litter patrol. Walk around with a big stick – defintely a pet peeve of mine.
Q. What would you like your tombstone to say?
A. She made a difference.
Q.What one thing in your past would you change if you could?
A.Defintely I would have saved the Metropolitan Hotel. There was nothing to compel the owner to keep the building from deteriorating. Now we have the scattered sites redevelopment project. Still I would like to get a Landmarks Commission formed. There has to be a way that we can have another layer of protection for historic buildings. I don’t understand why someone would buy a historic building and either bastardize it or let it rot away. A lot of it is greed, but this goes back to educating the community. I don’t care what color someone paints a house, I don’t want to sound like a complainer, but there should be certain mechanism in place to preserve structural integrity.
Q.What king of car do you drive? Some people say it is a reflection of your personality.
A.A big old gas guzzling Lexus. But I have never bought a new car, and I keep them a long time!
Q.Do you have a website or email address you’d like people to know about?
A.www.asburyparkhistocialsociety.org
Q.What do you think ArtsCAP can do to promote the ARTS in Asbury Park? How would you be willing to help?
A.Its so important that all the community groups work together to improve the quality and experience of living in AP. I think we all work very well together and count on each other to get others excited about being in AP. The goal is to make people happy to be here, and make everyone active owners.
I love this city – its fun, its energetic- its like a little flower coming up out of the ground and looking better and better. So nice to walk downtown and know the people you pass, or go to dinner and be hugged by the owner. It’s a wonderful feeling, challenging of course, but you take the good and the bad. You try to be a good citizen, but it’s a city, and if that all went away you’d be stuck in your backyard looking at your neighbor’s pool (that’s a totally different life). In Asbury Park, the houses and style of living is gracious. The front porches give you eyes and ears on the street and community. I understood those sentiments from “The Death and Life of great American cities” (The story of Robert Moses) by Jane Jacobs. Everything can’t be old and everything can’t be new at the same time. You need homogeny, and we’ve got that here in Asbury Park
Postscript: Since this interview has occurred, ArtsCAP and the Historical Society have joined forces on two projects for 2009: a Banner Program to select artists and print new citywide banners which hang along AP’s main thoroughfares (www.artscap.org/bannerprogram), and a commemoration of the Morro Castle shipwreck’s 75th Anniversary.
As a coalition of artists, citizens and cultural organizations, the Arts Coalition of Asbury Park is dedicated to the promotion and advancement of the arts through collaboration, advocacy and education.
To learn more about ArtsCAP, visit our website at www.artscap.org.